red herring

4年前にブログを始めた年に "red herring" を取り上げ、その時に"red herring" はまたどこかで見かけるでしょうと書きましたが、The Remains of the Dayの次ぎの個所に出て来ました。
'My good man, I have a question for you. We need your help on a certain matter we've been debating. Tell me, do you suppose the debt situation regarding America is a significant factor in the present low levels of trade? Or do you suppose this is a red herring and that the abandonment of the gold standard is at the root of the matter?'
おさらいです。　"red herring" は次ぎの三つの意味があります。（by WordNet)
1: any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue
2: a dried and smoked herring having a reddish color
3: a first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus
The Remains of the Dayでの意味は上の 1.です。　3.の意味は載せていない辞書も多いのですが、4年前に取り上げたのはその例でした。（Ref. blog.alc.co.jp/blog/3302827/archive/2007/12/19）